Cathkin Wins Inter-Cities Cup

The 2nd leg of the Inter-Cities Cup was played at Royal Burgess in Edinburgh on Sunday 11th April. Although Cathkin Braes had won the first leg 5 - 4 at Cathkin two weeks previously there were fears that this slim lead might not be sufficient because Royal Burgess had not been defeated at Home in over 3 1/2 years.

In the end the result was a fantastic victory for Cathkin, winning 6 1/2 - 2 1/2 to make the aggregate score   11 1/2 - 6 1/2 and bring the Cup to Glasgow, the first time a Brand Putter League Club had won the trophy since its inception.

There are two main Amateur Club golf leagues in Glasgow, the Brand Putter League for Clubs south of the river Clyde, and the Donald Cameron League for Clubs north of the river. The Boundary Bell is competed for by the winners of these two leagues, and Cathkin defeated the Donald Cameron League winners, Hayston Golf Club, by the narrow margin of 5 – 3 at Balmore last September.

In Edinburgh there are four sections in the Edinburgh Summer League with the winners and runners-up of each going forward to a knock-out competition, the ultimate winners being presented with the Challenge Cup. In 2009 Royal Burgess emerged winners for the second year in a row.

By coincidence, both the Brand Putter League and the Donald Cameron League were instigated in 1947. The Brand Putter League was set up by Bertie Brand, then the Secretary of Eastwood Golf Club, and the Donald Cameron League was set up by Donald Cameron, a Scottish Internationalist and a Member of Kirkintilloch Golf Club. It was not until 1998 that the Boundary Bell match began. It was even later, in 2006, that the Inter-Cities Cup between the winners of the Glasgow and Edinburgh competitions, was established, but it has rapidly become the pinnacle of success for the amateur teams from golf clubs in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.